Abstract
The soil samples were taken from the site of a former oil products depot from an industrial area (Romania). The soil samples taken were analyzed from a physical and chemical point of view: texture, pH, soil micronutrient content, metals concentration and petroleum hydrocarbon concentration (PHCs). The soil contaminated with total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH (4280 mg kg−1) was disposed in the form of a pile (L × W × H: 3000 × 1400 × 500 mm). Experiments on a pilot-scale were conducted over 12 weeks at constant pH (7.5–8), temperature (22–32 °C), nutrient contents C/N/P ratio 100/10/1, soil aeration time (8 h/day) and moisture (30%). Samples were taken every two weeks for the monitoring of the TPH and the microorganisms content. During the experiment, microorganisms were added (Pseudomonas and Bacillus) every two weeks. Results of the analyses regarding the concentration of PHCs were revealed a linear decrease of the concentration of PHCs after only two weeks of treatment. This decrease in concentration was also achieved in the following weeks. Following the analysis performed on the model at the pilot scale regarding the depollution process, it can be concluded that a soil contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons can be efficiently depolluted by performing an aeration of 8 h/day, adding microorganisms Pseudomonas and Bacillus to ensure the conditions for increasing in the total number of germs (colony forming units–CFU) from 151 × 105 to 213 × 107 CFU g−1 soil, after 12 weeks of soil treatment—the depollution efficiency achieved is 83%.
Highlights
Petroleum is the main energy source in the world [1]
With 2% (w/v) HNO3 [50]; Mobile phosphorus and potassium were determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES) after extraction of 5 g soil in 100 mL ammonium acetate–lactate mixture for 4 hours according to Egnèr–Riehm–Domingo method; The organic carbon was determined by Walkley–Black method by oxidizing the organic matter from 0.2 g soil with 5–10 ml of 1.6% (w/v) sulfochromic mixture on a hot plate for 20 min
The excess of chromic acid was titrated with 0.2 mol L−1 Mohr salt solution in the presence of diphenylamine as an indicator; Hydrophysical indices: withering coefficient, field capacity and useful capacity were determined taking into account soil moisture that was determined by the gravimetric method [49,51]; The PHC content was determined by Fourier Transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) [5]
Summary
Saturated hydrocarbons are the main components of natural gases and oil [2]. Petroleum hydrocarbons are natural chemical substances used by humans for many activities, being a complex mixture of a wide range of chemicals found in crude oil and refined products [1,3]. The development of the oil industry is sometimes accompanied by the appearance of certain side effects, as it pollutes the environment and affects the health of the human population [4]. Environmental pollution with PHC through leaks and spills taking place during production, storage and transport of oil causes water and soil pollution, affecting the safety of ecosystems and human health, becoming a global environmental problem [5,6].
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